Storage drawer assembly



May 4, 1943. E. H. BODDY STORAGE DRAWER ASSEMBLY 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1941igina 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4, 1943.

E. H. BODDY STORAGE DRAWER ASSEMBLY Original Filed Jan. 4, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 qmmmmmmnmmnmw O I 2 a I Inventor: v

Edwin |"1- Boddy,

H is Attorney.

Patented May 4, 1943 2,318,363 7 STORAGE DRAWER ASSEMBLY Edwin H. Boddy,Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of NewYork Original application January 4, 1941, Serial No. 373,119. Dividedand this application May 7, 1941, Serial No. 392,383

3 Claims.

This invention relates to storage drawers and more particularly todrawers especially adapted for use in cabinets, such as stoves orrefrigerators of the domestic type, for example.

This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 373,119, filedJanuary 4, 1941, and assigned to the same assignee as the presentinvention.

Objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as thefollowing description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevational'view, partlyin section, ofa portion of a refrigerator cabinet illustrating avegetable drawer constructed and assembled according to the principlesof my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View, partly in section, of adetail of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isan explodedview, in perspective, illustrating details of the invention illustratedin Fig. 1; Fig. 4 illustrates a different embodiment of my invention;and Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate modifications of a detail of thearrangement shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, I have disclosed a refrigerator cabinet l9having a food storage compartment II and a machinery compartment l2therebelow. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1, there isdisposed at the rear of the machinery compartment a motor-compressorunit i3. In the front portion of the compartment l2, there is disposedan article supporting device or element in the form of a slidablymounted storage drawer l4 arranged to be withdrawn through an opening ISin the front wall of the cabinet. The closed andwithdrawn positions ofthe drawer are indicated by the dot-dash lines I! and 10, respectively.

.The machinery compartment is closed by a door or panel member l9, shownin Fig. 1 as attached to the front wall of the drawer. The panel memberpreferably corresponds in design to the door 16 to improve the cabinetappearance and may be considered a decorative front for the drawer.

In order slidably to support the drawer along each side thereof, thereis provided a slide suspension means comprising a pair of horizontallydisposed parallel members 22 associated with op posite sides of theopening i5 and being fixed with respect to the cabinet. A set ofhorizontally disposed members 23fare attached to the drawer assembly andarranged for-slidable movement with respect to the fixed members 22, the

fixed members being arranged to maintain the slidable element inoperative association during the sliding movement of the drawer. Theparallel members 22 are suitably secured to the cabinet at oppositesidesof the opening, as by means of plates 46 suitably secured to theflanges 3!) of said sides as by welding, for example, and threadedfastening means 41 extending through openings 48 in the members 22 intoengagement with suitably tapped openings in the plates 46, for example.adjustment of the slide members 22, the openings 48 may be in the formof longitudinally extending slots. There is provided a pair of slidableelements 23 having operative engagement with the members 22, each of theslidable elements being provided with a bracket 49 suitably secured, asby welding, for example, to the sliding element and being provided withopenings disposed for alignment with the elongated openings 2E in thebottom wall of the drawer. In order to retain the members 22 and 23 inoperative association during the sliding movement, the fixed members 22are, for example, substantially C-shaped in cross-section, and may havelaterally and inwardly directed flanges 50 and 5|,

respectively. As illustrated in the drawings, the

slidable member 23 is also substantially C-shaped in cross-section, theupper flange 52 thereof being arranged to ride on 'a roller 53 suitablyjournalled near the front end of the member 22. As best seen in Fig. 2,the members 22 and 23 are dimensioned so that the member 23 istelescopically received within the member 22 although the relationshipof the parts could be reversed, if desired and the member 23 is madesufliciently smaller than the member 22 to ride on the roller withoutbinding.

In order, to permit free sliding action of the drawer even though the.distance between the side walls of the compartment l2 varies from thedesired dimension, I, have provided an adjustable connection between theslidable members 23 and the drawer M. In the form of my invention shownin Figs. 1 to 3,; inclusive, this connection comprises a plurality ofelongated slots or openings 24 in the bottom wall of the drawer andsuitably tapped openings in the slidable member arranged to be alignedwith the slots. and fastening means, such as suitably threaded bolts 25,extending through the openings, and nuts 25a, whereby the slidable mem-In order to permit longitudinal.

ment with the lower flange of the, member 22.

In order to provide a stop for limiting the forward movement of thedrawer, I have provided a projection 55 extending downwardly from theupper flange of the member 22 and an upwardly directed projection 56 onthe upper flange 50 of the element 23, the projections being arrangedfor engagement at the desired limit of forward travel of the drawer.

In order to permit the complete removal of the drawer from the cabinet,I have depressed a portion of the lower flange of the members 22 asindicated by the numeral 51. By withdrawing thedrawer until theprojections 55 and 55 engage, and then lifting the drawer at the frontedge thereof to pivot the drawer about the roller 53, the projection 55will be lowered sufficiently below the projection 55 to permit furtherwithdrawal of the drawer, the projection 54 entering the depression 51.

In assembling the drawers, the fixed slide members 22 are securedinplace, the slidable members 23 inserted into operative engagement withthe members 22, the drawer then placed in position and the fasteningmeans inserted and loosely adjusted. The drawer and movable members 23may then be slid in andout a few times until the drawer and slidesuspension properly alignthemselves and the fastening means are thentightened. Thus, there is provided a drawer assembled for free slidingoperation rapidly and simply and without requiring any modification ofparts on the part of the assembler.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 4, I have provided arefrigerating unit disposed at one side of the machinery compartment L2.The refrigerating apparatus comprises a re frigerant circulating unitl'3- of the hermetically sealed type suitably supported on brackets oranglemembers 58. A condenser 59 of thefinned sinuous coil type is alsosecured to the members 58 and there is illustrated a motor driven. fan60 for inducing circulation of air across the condenser 59 and the unitl3.

The storage drawer I4" is: placed at the opposite side of thecompartment l2 and is secured to one of the slidable members 23- insteadof to The panel memher is attached tothebin or drawer in any suit bothof the slidable members.

able manner as, for example, by means ofan angle member 42' and suitablefastening devices, and a, bracket or panel member 62 and suitablefastening means. The other slidable member 23. is. secured. to the panelelement of member 62v as by means of the bracket 49. attached tothe.

slidable member 23 and a bracket 63 suitably secured to the rear wallmember 62 of panel l9. As previously described, elongated openings areprovided for permitting lateral adjustment of the slidable elements.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a different means for connecting thebracket 63: to the bracket. 49 of the slide member 23. In thisarrangement, fastening. means, such. as aheaded pinv extend-.

ing through aligned openings in the brackets is secured in place bymeans of a washer 64 and a cotter pin 65, a loose connection resulting.Preferably, one of the openings is slotted to permit lateral movementbetween the slide member 23 and the panel and drawer assembly.

In Fig. 6, I have illustrated still another loose connection means forconnecting the panel 62 to the slide member 23. This means comprises aconnecting member 66 having at one end a securing portion 61 suitablysecured to the panel 62, as by welding, for example, and at the. otherend a hook-shaped portion 68 arranged to be inserted through an opening69 in the vertical portion of slide member 23.

Modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, whileI have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not desire myinvention to be limited to the particular construction shown anddescribed and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modificationswithin the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the.United States is:

1. In a drawer assembly, a panel element, a drawer element carried bysaid panel element, and slide suspension means for said elementscomprising a pair of horizontally disposed, spaced-apart, parallelmembers, and a second pair of members constructed and arranged forslidable engagement with the first-mentioned members and for retentionin operative association therewith during the sliding movement of saidelements, one member of said second pair being adjustably secured to oneof said elements and the other'member of said second pair being. securedto the other of said elements thereby permitting assembly in such a waythat no binding occurs during the sliding movement of said elements.

2. In a drawer assembly, a panel element, a drawer element carried bysaid panel element, and slide suspension means for said elementscomprising a pair of horizontally disposed, spaced-apart, parallelmembers, and a second pair of' members constructed and arranged for and:the othermember of saidsecond pair being adjustably secured to the-panelelement therebypermitting assembly in such a way that no binding occursduring the slidingmovement of said elements.

3. In a drawer assembly, a panel element; a drawer element carriedbysaid panel element; and slide suspension means for said elementscomprising a pair of horizontally disposed, spaced-apart, parallelmembers, and a second pair of members constructed and arranged forslidable engagement with the first-mentioned members and for retentionin operative association therewith during the sliding movement of saidelements, one member of said second pair being adjustably secured to thedrawer element and the other member of said second pair beinglooselysecured to. the panel element thereby permitting assembly in such a waythat no bind-- ing occurs during the sliding movement of said elements.

EDWIN I-I. BODDYZ

